Flexible wiping and massaging device for bathers



July 23, 1935. P. MULLEN 2,008,990

FLEXIBLE WIPING AND MASSAGING DEVICE FOR BATHERS Filed March 1'7, 1953 of Q S- I II I N I I i c I i I l I I l I I w i Q\ I C I I6 I I W I \H I :-I

I l H? a LU I I-I II I I I1 w I l iii 00 I I I I I I I INVENTOR.

Patented July 23, 1935 FFICE FLEEZELE "WIPING AND MASSAGING DEVICE FOR BATHEBS Tobias Patrick Mullen, Bayside, N. Y.

fiippiication March n, 1933, Serial No. 661,360

2 @iaims.

This invention relates to improvements in bathing devices, and its leading object is to provide a simple flexible massaging and wiping strip, preferaoiy formed of flexible rubber, and provided with differently formed massaging surfaces on the opposite sides thereof, and with a detachable absorbent jacket, which may be used for washing the back or any other part of the body of a. bather, and when dry may be used for wiping the surface of the body.

In tub or shower bathing the average person has great dimculty in reaching the back of the body, to apply soap or develop an efiective cleansing movement. Ordinary bath or similar towels cannot be worked satisfactorily over the surface of the body, especially over the back of the body, as such towels, no matter how folded, will curl and then roll against the body, so that they will not produce any satisfactory cleansing or drying movement. Due to the fact that the median vertical line of the back of a person is inset, along the spinal column, practically no wiping pressure can be developed along this zone of the back, by the we of a flat, folded bath towel.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a flexible strip having a series of transverse corrugations or ribs formed on one side of the same, and a series of integral massaging cones or plugs formed on the opposite side thereof, which will permit of easy massaging of the back of a. bather, and which will maintain contacting wiping engagement with the sunken zone of the spinal column.

Another object of the invention is to provide a detachable, absorbent jacket, which will enclose the flexible wiping and massaging strip, and which can be worked over the back or other parts of the body of the bather, without curling or rolling against the body.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention relates to new and useful improvements, combinations and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following specification, and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the device, showing the enclosing absorbent jacket.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the flexible strip, with the absorbent jacket removed.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, partly in side elevation, thereof.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow.

(Cl. ii.5222) Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified end construction of the flexible strip.

Referring to the accompanyin drawing illustrating the practical embodiment of my invention 5 designates a jacket or sleeve, which is 5 formed of absorbent towelling or similar sheet fabric material, which is folded upon itself and then stitched along the line So, so as to provide a flat tubular sleeve or jacket, the opposite ends of which are left open.

in this absorbent jacket the flexible rubber strip 6 is arranged, on each end of which a handle 11 is formed or provided. On one side of this strip a series of integral massaging plugs or pins 8 are formed, which are shown to be arranged in three parallel rows, with the pins of each longitudinal row progressively increasing in length from the outer portion of the strip toward the center thereof. By this arrangement the massaging plugs or pins located near the center of the strip will form a group presenting tips disposed in a convex curve, which are adapted to fit into the hollow zone along the spinal column of the body.

Soap or other cleansing substance is retained on the strip around the base of the pins, by means'of the marginal bead or reinforcing border 9, formed integral with the strip, and forming reinforcing means therefor. This marginal bead completely encloses the massaging pins or plugs.

The opposite side of the flexible strip is formed with transverse massaging ribs In, which also increase in thickness toward the center of the strip, and which extend across the full width of the strip, as shown in Fig. 4. 35

In Figs. 2 and 3 I show an integral handle on each end of the flexible strip, which is grasped within the hand, while in Fig. 5 I show a hand hold slot I I, which is formed near the end of the strip, through which the fingers of the user are projected.

Two absorbent jackets are preferably used with the flexible bathing strip, one for use as a wash cloth, and the other for use as a drying cloth, the wash cloth being of course removed before the drying jacket is slipped over the flexible bathing strip. In order to secure the absorbent jacket on the flexible strip, against end shifting, each end portion of the jacket is equipped with a constricting cord or ribbon l2, which works in a cloth tube or guide l2a, stitched or otherwise formed on the sleeve or jacket.

The strip and its enclosing jacket are of sufficient length to reach across the back, horizontally and diagonally, and have a combined flexibility which permits of easy rubbing or massaging. The integral pins or ribs of the flexible strip serve to produce different massaging surfaces, and to develop the required pressure through the absorbent jacket.

The flexible strip may be used without the absorbent jacket, and either side of the same may be applied bare against the body of the bather. When the jacket is used on the rubber strip, it will be prevented from curling or rolling against the body of the bather, due to the clutching action of the ends of the massaging pins or cones, which have an interfitting and slip preventing engagement with the absorbent jacket.

The tips of the massaging plugs and the tips of the massaging ribs are formed of softer rubber stock, than is the body of the strip. The strip of uncured rubber which is deposited in the mold, before vulcanization is covered with a layer of softer rubber, or with two layers, one on each side, and the article is then moulded and vulcanized to final form, leaving a soft finishing layer of rubber on each or both sides, attached to a carrying strip of less resilient or harder compound stock.

Having described my invention I ciaim:-

1. A device for aid in personal bathing consisting of a. flexible strip of rubber adapted to encircle the body of the bather and provided with a handle on each end thereof to enable the bather to move the strip across the body, the strip being formed with longitudinal marginal ribs, the strip also being formed with a series of integral pins arranged in transverse rows and the rows being spaced longitudinally from each other, the length of the pins increasing from the ends of the strip toward the center, whereby the central group of rows will have a corresponding curve to the normal spinal depression of a human body, the marginal ribs serving to confine soap suds about the pins and being of less width than the length of the pins, and also serving to limit a massaging action of the pins against the body.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 including an absorbent jacket secured around the strip and covering said pins and ribs and extending the length of the strip and over the handles thereof.

TOBIAS PATRICK MUILEN. 

